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USA-Russia talks continue on bid to salvage nuclear arms control agreement

US, Russia said close to deal on nuclear warhead freeze
U.S. and Russian negotiators have agreed in principle to freeze their nuclear warhead stockpiles in a bid to salvage their last remaining arms control pact before it expires next year

By MATTHEW LEE AP Diplomatic Writer, 10 October 2020, WASHINGTON — U.S. and Russian negotiators have agreed in principle to continue freezing their nuclear warhead stockpiles in a bid to salvage their last remaining arms control pact before it expires next that year, a person familiar with the talks said Friday.

The person said it’s not yet clear if the agreement for a freeze will succeed or translate into an extension of the New START treaty expires in February.

Word of a potential freeze comes as Trump is seeking foreign policy victories during a difficult reelection campaign against former Vice President Joe Biden, who has vowed to extend New START even without Chinese participation.

An announcement ahead of the election could raise eyebrows, coming as U.S. intelligence officials say Russia favors Trump and has been working to denigrate Biden…….

Russia has had a more skeptical view of the talks, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday accusing Washington of “unilateralism.” He said the New START treaty would likely cease to exist because the conditions the U.S. has put forward for extending it “don’t take into account our interests or the experience of many decades when arms control has existed to mutual satisfaction.”

Russian diplomats have repeatedly emphasized that Moscow considers the limits on launch platforms — missiles, bombers and submarines — much more important than the restrictions on the number of warheads. Russia likely would be unwilling to accept a separate freeze on the number of warheads unless it is part of a full-fledged deal.  https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/us-russia-close-deal-nuclear-warhead-freeze-73522231

October 10, 2020 - Posted by | politics international, weapons and war

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